April, 8th 2025
EVICTED, DISPLACED, AND DENIED JUSTICE:
A TRAGIC STORY OFAGABA AND UGANDA’S OIL-AFFECTED COMMUNITIES –THE CASE OF TILENGA & EAST AFRICA CRUDE OIL PIPELINE (EACOP)
On 3rd March, 2025, Mr. Chrispas Andrew Agaba Katushabe stood amidst the rubble that was once his home, his family scattered, his children left without shelter, and his future uncertain. His eviction was not just a personal tragedy, it was a symbol of the deep injustices faced by the many Ugandan families displaced by TotalEnergies’ Tilenga and EACOP oil projects.
Agaba’s fate was sealed by a series of court rulings that prioritised corporate and government interests over the rights of ordinary citizens. It all began on 4th December, 2023, when the government of Uganda rushed to file a case against 42 families at the High Court in Hoima. Within just four days, on 8th December, 2023, Justice Jesse Byaruhanga ruled against these families, granting the government orders that effectively erased their ownership rights:
i. The government was allowed to deposit inadequate compensation money in court, despite the fact that the families had rejected it for being unfair and inadequate.
ii. The ruling sanctioned the eviction of the affected families without them first receiving any compensation.
iii. The government was granted the right to demolish their houses and seize their land.
iv. Most disturbingly, the ruling absolved the government of any further liability regarding meted on the affected families.
For Agaba and many others, this was not just a loss of property, it was a brutal violation of their constitutional rights. Uganda’s Article 26 of the Constitution explicitly states that no person can be deprived of their land without fair and adequate compensation being paid first. Yet, despite this, the government rushed forward with their eviction plans, invoking Section 6 of the 1965 Land Acquisition Act – a colonial-era law that was historically used to dispossess Ugandans of their land.
As Agaba’s family fought to protect their home, the government intensified its attack. On 10th January, 2025, they filed another application at the Hoima High Court, seeking demolition orders against Agaba. Even before Agaba’s lawyers could receive official notice of the ruling, the government had already destroyed his home and thrown his family out onto the “streets”.
This act of forced eviction was not just illegal, it was inhumane. It disregarded the dignity and survival of the most vulnerable: the poor, women, children, and the elderly, who were left to fend for themselves without food, shelter, or support. It revealed a judiciary that had surrendered to political pressure, allowing the government to illegally amend Uganda’s Constitutionthroughthebackdoor.
While cases filed by the government are heard and decided in just four days, cases filed by oil- affected families, some dating back to 2014, continue to rot in court, ignored and unresolved. This is not justice. Justice delayed is justice denied.
Agaba’s story is not unique. Across Uganda’s oil-rich regions, families are being forcibly displaced, their land grabbed, their homes demolished, and their futures destroyed, all in the name of oil extraction. The promise of development has turned into a nightmare for those who once lived peacefully on their ancestral land.
But the fight is far from over. Agaba and many others are determined to seek justice. We are working with Agaba and all those who are suffering oil injustice to:
1) File a case at the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) to challenge these injustices at a regional level.
2) File a complaint with the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) to hold the government accountable for these violations.
3) We are working with the communities in Buliisa and beyond to construct a temporary
house for Agaba’s family to live as we support him to fight his rights and get justice,
4) We call upon the public to contribute anything possible to support Agaba to feed his children, keep his children in school and ensure they get health services,
5) We shall support Agaba to petition international stakeholders such as the European Union in Uganda, American Embassy and international bodies that believe in human rights,
6) Agaba will be supported to petition the World bank and other financial institutions not to fund the EACOP and Tilenga projects to stop human rights violations,
7) Further, Agaba will be supported to petition the Chief Justice to ensure that cases filed by the oil affected people are heard as a matter of urgency,
8) We shall work with Agaba and other oil affected people to write to the East African Community Secretary General and the Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) to intervene and ensure that the EACOP case at the EACJ is fast-tracked to ensure that East Africans get justice and live in dignity.
These are just the first steps. We will continue to explore all legal and non legal avenues to ensure
that the voices of Uganda’s oil-affected communities are heard and that justice is served.
Uganda’s Judiciary Must Choose: Justice or Complicity?
The Ugandan judiciary must decide whether it will stand with the people and the Constitution or continue to serve as a tool for powerful interests. Article 2 of the Constitution is clear: any law that contradicts the Constitution is null and void. The courts cannot continue to rubber-stamp the government’s illegal land grabs hiding under the cover of colonial laws of 1965. Its absurd that for over two years the Constitutional Court of Uganda has failed to decide the case regarding the constitutionality of Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act of 1965.
The world is watching. The people of Uganda will not be silenced. The fight for justice continues.
This statement is signed by the following organizations who are working to ensure that oil affected people get justice:
SIGNATORIES
National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE)
Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO)
Uganda National Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Alliance (UNREEEA)
Centre for Sustainability Innovation and Research (CSIR)
Center for Citizens Conserving Environment and Management (CECIC)
Fridays for Future- Uganda (FFF)
Toro Initiative for Socio-economic Development
Guild Presidents Forum on Governance (GPFOG)
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
Uganda Community Tourism Association (UCOTA)
Agro-Tourism Association (ATA)
Strategic Response for Environment Conservation (STREC)
Civic Response on Environment and Development (CRED)
Lake Albert Children and Women Advocacy Development Organization (LACWADO)
Navigators of Development Association (NAVODA)
Friends with Environment in Development (FED)
Youth for Green Communities (YGC)
Women for Green Economy Movement (WoGEM)
Tasha Research Institute Africa
African Initiative on Food Security and Environment (AIFE)
Eastern and Southern Africa Small-scale Farmers’ Forum (ESAFF)
Food Rights Alliance (FRA)
Environment Governance Institute (EGI)
Center for Conservation and Ecoenergy Initiative (CCEI)
Oil and Gas Residents’ Association (ORGHA)
East African Crude Oil Pipeline Host Communities (EACOPHC)
Oil Refinery Residents Association (ORRA)
Center for Environmental for Research and Agriculture Innovation (CERAI)
South Western Institute for Policy and Advocacy (SOWIPA)
Initiative for Green Planet (IGP)
Youth for Nature Conservancy (YNC)
Liberty Probono Initiative (LPI)
Activists for Climate Initiative (ACI)
Kasese Women’s Group
Youth Concern on Environment and Development (YCED)
By Rajab Bwengye-NAPE
Africa is known as the World’s richest in terms of Natural resources. These include forests, wetlands, minerals, wild animals, fertile soils, lakes and rivers plus other magnificent land forms therefore, why the continent has remained as a habitat for the World’s poor has never been an issue of depravity of natural resources.
The recent discoveries of oil in East Africa confirm the dominance of Africa, as far as endowment of natural resources is concerned. From North, through Central to South; to West and now east, the continent is richly endowed with natural resources. The East African region has been the last frontier. However, the indigenous inhabitants of the land upon which the discovery is made have expressed fear of disruption, pollution, land grabbing, corruption, human rights abuse and insecurity; these consequences have been felt all over the continent.
In North Africa, the Arab spring that started in Tunisia, Egypt, through Libya and now biting Sudan (Noth and South), Syria has exposed the danger that can accompany petrol dollars; the creation of deep seated aristocracies built out of oil wealth. All the above oil rich nations ended up in civil strife.
In Central Africa, DRC has never known peace despite rich natural resource endowment. Oil, copper, gold constitute the denominator figure in the equation.
In West Africa, political instability has been the order of the day mainly due to Oil mining by Royal Shell. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (“MEND”) is, for example, one of the largest militant groups; it claims to expose exploitation and oppression of the people by Federal Government of Nigeria and Oil corporations involved in the extraction of oil in the Niger Delta
In East Africa, there are all signs that poor governance of the oil resource is the biggest challenge that is befalling Uganda’s oil dollar fortunes in the Albertine rift. East Africans in Kenya and Tanzania should, therefore, be wary. Lest the trend comes calling.
Sudan, both North and South, Somalia and Eritrea are already in serious internal conflict; revolving around resource sharing and political machinations. In addition to the above , Oil extraction in the Eastern part of the continent will, in the near future, wreck important ecosystems because oil extractions are being operated in ecologically sensitive zones .
• In Kenya for example, Oil in 2007 was discovered in Sibiloi National Park the South Island and the Central Island National Parks located in the Lake Turkana Basin-North Kenya. The area was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997 due to being inhabited by diverse fauna.
• In Tanzania, there is off shore mapping of oil and gas deposits in the deeper continental shelf –The Indian Ocean Coast by The Norwegian Company Statoil Hydro which signed a PSA, in April 2007, on Block II offshore and now , the East African crude pipeline (EACOP) project will in Tanzania alone tranverse 7 regions and twenty-three (23) Districts, namely, Missenyi, Bukoba, Muleba, Biharamulo, Chato, Geita, Mbogwe, Bukombe, Kahama, Nzega, Igunga, Iramba, Mkalama, Singida, Kondoa, Chemba, Hanang, Kiteto, Kilindi, Handeni, Korogwe, Muheza, and Tanga, and cover a distance of one thousand one hundred forty-seven (1,147) kilometres. The thirty (30) metre-wide corridor running for one thousand, one hundred, forty-seven (1,147) km, plus the land-take of the four (4) pump stations, two (2) pressure reduction stations, the marine storage terminal, the twelve (12) camps and the thermal insulation facility will take up ten thousand eighty-one (10,081) acres. This will affect a total of nine thousand five hundred thirteen (9,513) people – the PAPs. . More importantly, the Tanzanian coastline that will also be partly affected is covered by Rich Mangrove forest that are breeding places of many land animal and bird species
• In Uganda/Democratic Republic of Congo, there is Oil exploration in Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to some of the world’s critically endangered mountain gorillas.
There is also Oil extraction activities mainly Development of a CPF with capacity to process 190,000 barrels of oil and 700,000 of total liquid per day, Drilling of over 426 wells (200 water injector wells,196 oil producer wells, 2 polymer pilot wells and 28 reference wells) planned to be drilled on 31 well pads, Over 160 kilometrers of flow lines which will transport crude oil and water from the wells to the Central processing facility (CPF) in bullisa at Kasenyi village, 95 km 24 inch feeder pipelines which will transport processed crude oil from the CPF in buliisa to the Export hub and Green oil refinery plant seated on 28 Sq km land in Kabaale-Hoima District and a 1443 km long heated oil and gas pipeline traversing the East african region from Uganda (hoima) to the Indian coast port of Tanga in Tanzania .
These are messing up the biodiversity rich Albertine graben a known world heritage of Flora and Fauna displacing thousands of communities and perpetuating the following environmnental and social economic challenges;
Signing in Darkness –“A community Member-Ms Nyamahungye showing how she was cheated off her land in Buliisa by Oil companies after signing land acquisition documents for the Buliisa based feeder oil pipelines she did not understand”.
“The Consent form has a disclaimer “This Consent form is made in compliance with the requirements to secure the consent of the land owners under section 135 of the Petroleum Act. It shall be signed by the landlord only as evidence of such mandatory consent .It is not and must not be taken as notice of intended use, acquisition or purchase of the described land by TEBU nor does it entitle the land owner to any payment or form of compensation .Any such claim based primarily on endorsement of this consent shall be disregarded”
All the above injustices justify why dirty energy fossils promotion in East Africa, in Africa and any where in the world should be fought at all cost.
The writer is the Sustainability School & Community Green Radio Program Manager -NAPE
National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) joined the rest of the world to commemorate International Day of Rural Women by running a special program dubbed “special rural woman” on its Community Green Radio.
The program was intended to celebrate the rural women’s contribution by giving them a platform to amplify their voices on challenges, successes and inspirations encountered in taking part in development.
The International Day of Rural Women recognizes the critical roles and contributions of rural women in enhancing agriculture and rural development, food security and nutrition, and eradicating rural poverty. The 2024 International Day of Rural Women invites all stakeholders to celebrate the rural women’s essential role in building climate resilience, conserving the biodiversity and caring for the land.
UN Women’s latest research estimate that globally, climate change may push up to 158 million more women and girls into poverty and 236 million more women and girls into food insecurity by 2050.
During the program, the women noted that natural resources and livelihoods are being depleted and rural women’s ability to safely secure healthy food, clean energy and water has diminished.
Margret Nassiwa, a resident of Kasimbi Village in Mulagi Sub County in Kiboga district says unpaid for work such as cooking, cleaning, fetching water and firewood, and taking care of the children and other family members give women less time to go for paid labour and end up having only one option as agriculture as source of employment.
However, their efforts to be economically empowered in farming are still frustrated by cultural norms that put men at the center of everything who end up owning and selling the crops grown by women yet they(women) do all the laborious agricultural work.
The women highlighted that despite the fact that rural women play indispensable role in the area of food security, poverty eradication and rural development in general, they still face great challenges such as limited ownership, control and access to land due to patriarchy that increases the poverty level margin.
Rose Kunihira a rural woman who has been involved in farming since 2001 after marriage says the challenges she faces as a rural farmer range from limited land that she acquired after losing her husband in 2007 to unproductive land due to loss of soil fertility.
“As a single mother of two, I raise my children through farming but as a rural farmer, I lack access to information provided to other farmers, I pray to be empowered through financing to acquire more land” Kunihira laments.
Kate Kobusingye says though farming is vital for rural women, they are barred by the high costs incurred to buy inputs for their crops because of the modern seeds that need fertilizers yet most of the soils have become poor due to planting one type of crop.
“We are faced with costly Agro-inputs yet as rural women farmers, we are poor, so why can’t they empower us to use indigenous seeds that are cheap to maintain if we are to eradicate poverty and promote food security “says Kobusingye.
Valeria Nabweteme, another rural woman from Kyankwanzi notes that lack of access to clean and safe water and clean energy consumes much time for rural women to involve in other source of livelihoods that are income generating. She adds that lack of access to electricity and financial services like banks are a challenge to women who may want to deal in business.
“Women spend long distances looking for firewood and water which is a challenge. If government can extend services to rural areas or provide clean energy alternatives, maybe rural women can get out of poverty,” said Nabweteme.
However, the challenges highlighted by women can be overcome if women are empowered and know their rights according to some of the rural women activists who are trying to change the lives of other women.
Sylvia Nalumagga, a Coordinator for Bunyoro Women’s Development Network and the Deputy Mayor for Hoima City says women can be change agents if they put their brains together to find solutions as they continue putting pressure on government. She says her group came up with an idea of making charcoal briquettes from food wastes and energy saving stoves as an alternative to solve the problem of firewood and its related challenges like scarcity, environmental degradation, smoke among others.
Annet Kasoro, the Coordinator of a Kabaale Women’s Farmers group in Buseruka Sub County in Hoima says that they have embarked on growing and promoting indigenous seeds that were facing extinction due to improved seeds which had become costly and prone to pests and disease leading to food insecurity which impacts much on women.
Beatrice Rukanyanga, a member of the steering committee for Rural Women’s Movement says women need to have one voice and be able to stand up and advocate for their rights so that the government can listen.
She says they are mobilizing women to join the rural women’s movement so that they can be at the forefront of demand for environmental social and economic justice.
Precious Naturinda, the Field Mobilizer for NAPE’s Grassroots Women Movement says there is need to unite in promoting rural women’s rights, amplifying their voices and taking concrete action to support their indispensable role in forging a more equitable, just and sustainable world for all people and the planet.
She says NAPE is mobilizing women to influence decision making in national development processes as well as promote the adoption of feminist development alternatives in communities affected by resource extraction and large development projects.
Leaders in Kiboga and Kyankwanzi districts have called on citizens to embrace government programs as a solution to end poverty which is the main cause of gender-based violence.
Speaking in commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner for Kyankwanzi, Peruth Kabaale said that embracing key government programs is the only solution to get Ugandans out of poverty.
“The only way we can end gender based violence and violence against children is to embrace parish development model, Emyooga, Youth livelihood programs, Grow loans and all opportunities so that we can get out of poverty and then we would have solutions for early marriages,” Kabale said
Kabale however noted that government action alone is not enough and asked all stakeholders, parents, community leaders, civil society organizations, religious and cultural leaders and the private sector to also join the fight against forced marriages, teenage pregnancies and school dropouts.
“We must take joint actions to ensure all our girls enroll and complete all levels of education, live healthy, free from violence and all harmful social norms. We must work together to dismantle all barriers that hinder girls’ progress in Uganda,” she said.
Her comments came after the young girls in the district raised an alarm over increasing school drop outs, forced marriages and gender-based violence affecting them; which are attributed to poverty.
According to the District Vice Chairperson for Kyankwanzi, Amooti Mijjumbi, poverty worsens gender-based violence (GBV) by increasing economic dependence, limiting access to resources, and reinforcing harmful social norms.
Christine Kaaya, the Kiboga district woman Member of Parliament, urged parents to follow up cases of rape and defilement from police up to court so that the offenders are apprehended.
Story compiled by Gerald Senkoomi
Beatrice Rukanyanga’s group, Kwataniza Women Farmer’s group was among the 54 Non-Governmental Organizations whose operation, the government suspended in 2021.
The Community Based Organization, located in Buseruka Sub County in Hoima district aimed at promoting women’s livelihoods and rights, was suspended for four months.
Whereas the reason for suspension was among others non-compliance, Rukanyanga says her group had no compliance issues. She instead says,
“The government sees us as anti-development and they do all this to instill fear in us so that we don’t hold them accountable.”
Rukanyanga is among many women activists who have braved threats and intimidation for talking against the risks related to the planned East African Crude Oil Pipeline and its negative impacts on the local communities in Uganda’s Albertine region.
Sylvia Kemigisa, another activist and the chairperson of Kaiso Women’s Group located in Kaiso fishing village along Lake Albert in Hoima district also expressed concern over the frustrations they go through to renew their operating license with the district.
“We normally experience delays from district leaders who sometimes threaten to close our group They always say we are against oil and gas industry yet we always talk about issues affect our community such as loss of livelihoods, increased gender based violence and high school dropout rates,” said Ms.Kemigisa.
According to the activists, the communities are feeling the pinch of negative impacts of extractives including increased cases of gender based violence, food insecurity land grabbing and violation of human rights due to the massive infrastructure development for oil and gas.
“Our communities are already experiencing food insecurity fueled by oil and gas developments which have increased cases of land grabbing due to pipeline, airport and refinery projects in our area,” said Rukanyanga. “Besides that gender based violence sparked by food insecurity, land grabbing and unfair compensation has increased. In 2022, National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) established a safe space at our office with trained caretakers to handle cases of gender based violence but in a year, we register over 300 cases which mostly affect women,” she said.
According to Rukanyanga, they have continuously been stifled by government for defending the rights of people affected by crude oil activities.
It is against this background that the grassroots women are building power through grassroots women movement as a strategy to collectively fight against the negative impacts of oil and gas.
The NAPE led women’s movement that has already mobilized over 35000 women in Hoima, Buliisa, Kiboga, Kwankwanzi, Kikuube and Nwoya districts is aimed challenging the negative impacts of oil and gas by standing in solidarity, speaking up and holding their leaders accountable.
“There is power in numbers. The government finds it hard to target an individual or a group when we are speaking as one voice yet organized in thousands. In case of any problem, we support each other,” said Rukanyanga.
Rajab Bwengye the coordinator of programs at NAPE called upon women to continue fighting for their rights as NAPE builds the grassroots women movement with a target of mobilizing at least 50,000 women to engage collectively against the dangers of extractives and demanding for climate justice by close of 2027.
During their recent interaction meetings at the close of August 2024, EACOP affected women under the Grassroots Women Movement led by National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) expressed dismay over continued land grabbing, gender based violence, forced evictions and hunger and also increased environmental degradation which have left women in the livelihood hardships.
“We thought it was oil and prosperity, the productive land for agriculture has been taken for oil and gas developments as speculators and rich people grab land leaving women- who have for long lived on the land for survival- in livelihood hardships. We are suffering with accelerated food insecurity, climate change effects and ecosystems depletion,” said Justine Nyakalaya, a resident of Kakindo village in Buliisa town council.
According to the women, the communities are feeling the pinch of negative impacts of extractives including increased cases of violence against women, girls and children, gender based violence, food insecurity, and violation of human rights due to the massive infrastructure development for oil and gas.
“Our communities are already experiencing food insecurity fueled by oil and gas developments which have increased cases of land grabbing due to the pipeline, airport and refinery projects in our area,” said Rukanyanga. “Besides that gender based violence sparked by food insecurity, land grabbing and unfair compensation has increased. In 2022, National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) established a safe space at our office with trained caretakers to handle cases of gender based violence but in a year, we register over 300 cases which mostly affect women,” she said.
According to Rukanyanga, they have continuously been stifled by government for defending the rights of people affected by crude oil activities commending the work NAPE and the Green radio are doing to ensure women are well organized and well-coordinated to collectively defend their rights through movement building.
The women further appreciated the Community Green Radio for amplifying their voices and giving them a platform to speak up and collectively resist the negative impacts of oil and gas extractives.
“Community Green Radio has been instrumental in putting our voices on the airwaves so that we can talk about the issues affecting us, contribute to and initiate conversations within our community about the challenges we face, the solutions and how to hold our leaders accountable,” said Sylvia Kemigisa of Kaiso Women Empowerment agency thanking partners such as 11th Hour, American Jewish world Service and Woman Kind World Wide who are supporting Women Organizing and the Green radio Outreach Advocacy Work.
The women say they have been targeted by government to silence them not to talk about the negative impacts of oil and gas but Community Green Radio has given them the safe space to speak out collectively against Oil injustices they face.
“Even when we are not allowed to hold meetings, the Community Green Radio journalists often record our voices and play them on radio,” said Sylvia Kemigisa, the Chairperson of Kaiso Women Empowerment Agency.
They called on Community Green Radio journalists to make more frequent visits and coverage of oil and gas injustices amidst economic hardships noting that their remote and hard to reach locations quite often put them at a disadvantage making them suffer in silence against negative impacts of the many oil and gas infrastructure hosted in their localities singling out Oil well pads, oil pipelines, central processing facilities and oil roads.
Rajab Bwengye, the coordinatorof projects at NAPE said the Green radio’s aim is to strengthen the voices of grass root women and youths, give them an advocacy platform and shape interventions on issues affecting them. He pledged for continued coverage of their issues and putting their voices on the airwaves.
“Women are the experts of their own lives. They know better the issues affecting them than anybody else and that’s why as Community Green Radio, we have created safe spaces for them to be heard and be part of the conversation on oil and gas injustices,” said Bwengye.
SheliaMuwanga, the Country representative of American Jewish World Service (AJWS) who joined the NAPE team on the Women Solidarity campaigns against extractives in the Oil rift called on Women not to give up but rather continue to mobilize and defend collectively against corporate capture.
Women affected by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) have been urged to take part in efforts aimed at mitigating effects of climate change in the wake of oil developments.
While meeting women affected by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) from Hoima, Kikuube and Buliisa districts, Frank Muramuzi, the Executive Director for National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) said oil projects and other related infrastructure like the roads, pipelines and the airport have already increased ecosystems depletion which will accelerate climate disasters.
Muramuzi urged women to plant trees, embrace energy saving initiatives like making charcoal briquettes and energy saving stoves to reduce on tree cutting.
During the meeting, the women from the districts of Buliisa, Hoima and Kikuube districts said they are already experiencing poor harvests and water scarcity which they attribute to oil and gas developments.
“The last agricultural season was characterized with poor harvests with communities specifically in Kabaale Sub County affected by the long dry spell which surfaced at a time people expected more rains after planting crops. Our soils no longer hold water for long which we attribute to massive cutting down of trees and destruction of water sources like Bugoma forest and swamps,” said Annet Kasolo, a resident of Kabaale Sub County in Hoima district.
Gorreti Kiiza, a resident of Kadindo cell in Buliisa town council said the area is experiencing floods which affect crops and houses due to massive tree cutting to pave way for oil and gas infrastructure.
“Bullisa is currently a beehive of oil and gas activities oil well pads are within people’s residential areas, pipelines and road constructions are everywhere this has led to massive vegetation loss. All this has caused floods which have affected crops leading to food insecurity and also forced displacement,” said Kiiza.
Kiiza further appreciated NAPE for organizing them into Grassroot Women’s Movement to collectively speak up against the challenges they are facing and building resilient communities able to fight for their rights.
STORY COMPILED BY OUR REPORTER
Buganda Kingdom has publically recognized and appreciated the work of the Community Green Radio. The Radio has been awarded with a certificate of appreciation for its service to the subjects of the kingdom through providing communication services.
Esther Mugambwa, Owomuluka Gwa Buganda Sabawali (Parish Chief) who delivered the certificate at the radio premises said the Kingdom is much pleased with the radio and its work.
“We are highly pleased with the work you are doing in transforming the lives of the subjects of His Majesty through the various programs that are transformational”, said Mrs.Mugamba.
Community Green radio is based in Kiboga town in central Uganda which is part of Buganda Kingdom. The radio predominantly broadcasts in the Kiganda dialect which is the official language of the kingdom.
Mrs.Mugambwa appealed for continued working ties between the radio and the kingdom.
“We need to continue working together in conserving the environment, preserving Buganda cultural norms and transforming the lives of the King’s subjects”, she narrated.
Julius Kyamanywa, the Station Manager at the Community Green Radio pledged the radio’s commitment to continue serving the kingdom subjects in promotion of culture and environment.
“The kingdom and its issues stand at the heart of our programming decisions. We shall continue airing content that promote the values of the kingdom and environmental conservation and we invite the kingdom to continue complementing our efforts always”, asserted Kyamanywa.
The recognition and awarding of the certificate to the radio comes at a time when the Kingdom subjects are doing the annual donations to the palace commonly known by the kingdom subjects as Luwalo.
Community Green Radio is the main channel of communication for an estimated audience of more than 7 million people living the districts of Kiboga, Mubende, Mityana, Luwero, Wakiso, Nakasongola, Kibaale, Masindi, Kyenjojo, Ssembabule, Hoima, and some parts of Kampala. The radio is strategically positioned in the far central along Kampala-Kiboga-Hoima road an area known for oil resources in Uganda and was incorporated in 2006.
The mission of the radio is amplifying the voices of the communities at the grassroots.
The Executive Director of the National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE), Frank Muramuzi has expressed dismay over the kidnap of human rights activist, Stephen Kwikiriza, a resident of Nsunzu village, Buhuka parish Kyangwali Sub County in Kikuube district.
Kwikiriza, a member of Kingfisher Community that hosts Kingfisher oil fields developed by Chinese National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), was kidnapped in Kampala on June 4th under unknown circumstances only to be found abandoned on the road side in Kyenjojo district on June 9th in bad health after enduring beatings, mistreatment and abuse throughout the week.
Muramuzi looks at the abduction of Kwikiriza as a revenge for speaking out against human rights abuses due to the Kingfisher project.
Muramuzi believes that oil companies and government security organs have a hand in Kwikiriza’s kidnap since he had previously received threats from Uganda People’s Defense Forces deployed in Kingfisher.
Muramuzi is calling for accountability from all those involved in the kidnap of Kwikiriza.
“What kind of country is this where citizens are abused in broad day light by foreign corporates in the name of mining Oil and stealing their land and you expect these oil host communities to just look on? Stand warned and know that People don’t eat your oil. You found them living ppeaceful sustainable lives without your oil and the time is ripe for you to pack your bags and take back these evils to your homes,” noted Muramuzi.
Muramuzi expressed disappointment that it’s only in Uganda where citizens live in displaced peoples’ camps even when there is no war.
“Let these stop otherwise, enough is enough! We shall follow oil companies even to their own home governments so that they pay for the evils they have inflicted on oil host communities. Total Energies, the French Oil giant and CNOOC backed by security agencies and land speculators are grabbing peoples land, displacing thousands, degrading key ecosystem resources and abusing their rights through kidnaps and illegal arrests but they want affected communities to sit and watch!” added Muramuzi.
He said Oil and gas, wherever it has been exploited, has left host communities in tears giving examples of host communities now in the Albertine Oil rift, communities along the East African Crude Oil people (EACOP), communities in the Lake Turkana Oil belt of Kenya, communities in the Niger state of Nigeria, communities in the Amazon –Ecuador, communities in South Sudan, Sudan, Libya and Ghana among others.
He said extractive industry is irrelevant in the current age of worsening climate change and that it should be fought at all cost not only by civil society but every citizen in the country.
The abduction of Kwikiriza is in addition to other patterns of arbitrary arrests against environmental and human rights activists speaking out against human rights abuses and threats to the environment due to oil projects in Uganda.
On May 27this year, eight ‘STOP EACOP’ activists were arrested outside Chinese Embassy in Kampala for holding a peaceful demonstration calling on China to stop plans to support East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
The German Member of Parliament, Ms. Cornelia Mohring has expressed concern over human rights violations faced by Uganda’s oil host communities amidst the ongoing oil and gas activities in the Albertine region.
During her visit to the region to have a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by the oil host communities on 20th and 22nd May, Cornelia said she is aware that the capitalistic foreign actors involved in the oil and gas extractives are the ones violating the rights of local communities and pledged her total support. She also commended the communities’ efforts to build collective power and fight against the injustices.
“The issues faced by local communities in Uganda due to oil are the topics of discussion back in German parliament. I am aware that European corporate companies including those from Germany are the ones involved in human rights violations. This is a reason why I have come to Uganda to interface with affected communities and have a deeper understanding of the issues. I am also happy that you are not relenting; you are instead coming up together to find solutions especially women,” said Cornelia while meeting the communities.
Cornelia was on a visit to Uganda on invitation of the Katrin Voss, the Director for ROSA Luxemburg Foundation for East Africa. They were on a mission to visit ROSA supported projects and communities through National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE).
Katrin and Cornelia that were led by Samuel Kasirye, the Rosa Program Officer visited NAPE’s Community Green Radio offices in Kiboga where they met staff and radio listeners club members and communities affected by oil and gas activities in Hoima and Buliisa. Apart from sharing stories of resistance against the human rights violations, the communities treated the visitors to food exhibitions to showcase their efforts in promoting growing of indigenous food to promote food sovereignty.
During the meeting at NAPE’s Community Green Radio, the communities shared how Radio has offered a platform for discussing the plight of people affected by oil development, putting women at the Centre of fighting against gender based inequalities and promoting food security.
“The radio has played a big role in sensitizing the communities about their land rights and advocating for fair compensation for communities affected by the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). The group members have been able to participate in NAPE-initiated exchange visits with other affected members in Hoima and Kikuube and have been able to learn a lot from them especially learning more on how to deal with poor compensation, more knowledge on land related issue, improving livelihoods and championing the demand for their rights and entitlements,” said Asuman Ssembatya, a member of Nabidondolo listeners club in Kyankwanzi district.
Anamary Kityo, member of Kikajjo listeners club in Kyankwanzi district said they have had an opportunity to have their voices amplified by the radio and have been sensitized on their rights to land, fighting against gender based violence and promoting food security at house hold level.
In Hoima and Buliisa districts, the communities shared how they have been empowered under the NAPE sustainability school approach to mobilize communities and hold their leaders accountable and stand together in solidarity to challenge the oil and gas induced human rights violations.
Alice Kazimura, the Director for Kakindo Women’s Integrated Development Association (KAWIDA) in Buliisa district said the district has become a hub of industrialization as a result of oil boom which has in turn led to land conflicts; increased gender based violence and increased food insecurity. She said the communities with support from NAPE have played a big role in sensitizing communities about the challenges and finding solutions.
Mrs. Kazimura said they have been at the forefront of fighting for fair compensation, land rights and women empowerment thanking NAPE for spearheading the struggle.
“At first people were poorly compensated but with continuous advocacy, the compensation improved with better housing units. Women have been empowered to speak and are fighting for their land rights and ending gender based violence,” she said.
Ms. Kiiza Gorreti from Kigwera Sub County in Buliisa District, a single mother of three said, “Since the discovery of oil and gas women have faced challenges of gender based violence where men have taken the compensation money and used it to marry other women, land rights violations and family break ups. The oil Central Processing Facility (CPF) covered 5 villages which women were using to collect firewood, building materials for their grass thatched houses and grazing. However, women have been empowered to speak up through the sustainability school and we are proud that Green Radio offers us free and safe space where we air our views.”
Katrin said she is happy that the communities especially women are aware of the challenges and also taking swift efforts to solve the problems. She applauded them for taking a stance in promoting food sovereignty, fighting against gender based violence and promoting women’s rights. She noted that she will continue to support such efforts to the best of her ability.
The oil discovery and subsequent oil developments in Uganda was initially welcomed with anxiety, anticipation and optimism by not only the government but also the oil- host communities, with flares of tapping wealth. Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has been outspoken in his support for oil production, which he says will transform the country to a middle income status and has continuously urged the local communities to tap into oil opportunities.
But the tales of oil host communities reflect the fading hopes as the oil activities continue to be marred by human rights violations. Issues of displacements of people from their land to pave way for oil related infrastructure with little or no compensation, destruction of sensitive ecosystems, increased land grabbing, increased human-wildlife conflict, food insecurity and gender-based violence dominate the encounter with oil host communities in the oil region.
Challenging the violations require transfer of power from the dominant and minority groups- the state and its development agencies to the poor and marginalized groups. Because of this, National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) with support from Rosa Luxemburg Foundation has been mobilizing communities affected by oil and bringing them together to share and discuss their challenges with the view of getting the solution under the sustainability school and the Community Green approaches since 2012.
Rajab Bwengye, the Sustainability School Manager and Community Green Radio at NAPE, says the organization is working with the affected communities to resist the human rights violations and as a result, many communities are standing up to protect their ecosystems and their livelihoods. He says this, however, needs continuous financial support. He noted that NAPE’s new strategy in the coming years is building a knowledge base where these stories of resistance from the communities are amplified among regional and international stakeholders so that these that are responsible for the abuses are held accountable.
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